WSU expects to lose top pitcher to the draft

WSU expects to lose top pitcher to the draft

Washington State baseball coach Donnie Marbut said he just experienced "the most frustrating season he's ever been a part of," but he gives Adam Conley his blessing to add to his pain.

Marbut said earlier this week he's certain that Conley, WSU's top pitcher, will go high in next week's major league draft and not return to the Cougars for his senior season.

"Adam's not coming back," Marbut said firmly. "Adam needs to start his professional career.

"If Adam does what we think he can do, 10 months from now, 12 months from now, he might be in the big leagues."

Marbut said "there's no way" Conley, a hard-throwing southpaw from Olympia's Capital High School, will be drafted lower than the second round. The draft is Monday through Wednesday.

Conley posted a 6-7 record and 3.50 earned run average, with 83 strikeouts (eighth in the Pac-10) in 108 innings pitched (fourth). Conley, who moved out of the bullpen into the starting rotation late last season, led WSU in all major pitching statistics this year.

"I see him as a set-up man (in the pros)," Marbut said. "I see him pitching the seventh or eighth inning for about 15 years in the big leagues.

"Those left-handed specialists, they make a lot of money."

Marbut said he also fears the Cougars may lose leading hitter Taylor Ard to the pros.

Ard, a redshirt sophomore first baseman, tops the Pac-10 Conference with 10 home runs and 55 RBI. He led WSU with a .337 batting average, which ranks seventh in the Pac-10.

"If he swings the bat like he did the last four weeks for an entire season, you're looking at one of the best hitters in the country," Marbut said.

The Cougars, loaded with experience after two straight trips to the NCAA regionals, openly discussed making a run at the College World Series this year. However, they played inconsistently and finished 26-28 overall and 10-17 (ninth) in the Pac-10.

"I did a really, really poor job of creating a team here," said Marbut, whose coaching career began as an assistant with Capital's 1998 state champions.

"We had individuals and we never had a team. We were never a united team."

When someone pointed out that a coach can't hit, field or throw the ball, the fiery Marbut replied, "Yeah, but my job is to make sure they do that."